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Roland St. Jude
2007-07-16, 10:47 AM
The Hells' Belles Contest

She's just a devil woman
With evil on her mind
Beware the devil woman
She's gonna get you
"Devil Woman" by Cliff Richard

This month's contest is to describe and design a new layer of the Abyss or Baator, some creatures that exist there, and the layer's female ruler. Obviously, the Abyss has infinite layers to play with but with Baator (The Nine Hells) your ruler will have to usurp one of the Nine existing layers.

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until Noon, August 18, 2007 (Eastern US Time). Please remember, as always, to follow the general contest guidelines.

The Rules:

1.) You will be creating a layer of hell, some unique inhabitants of that layer, and the layer's female ruler.
2.) Your entry must include the following:
A description of the layer with appropriate planar traits and other stats.
A description of some inhabitant (or inhabitants) unique or native to that layer with appropriate stats.
A description of the female ruler complete with stats.
Entries should be set in the standard D&D cosmology, and not any particular setting (e.g. Forgotten Realms or Eberron.) Try to avoid referencing non-core/SRD books where possible, but obviously, this contest may require some reference to non-core material.
Each new entry should be started on a new thread here on the Contests board, dedicated to just that set of items and the discussion of it. Put the tag [LAYER] in front of the title of that thread. Any thread without this tag will not be officially entered.
Post on the Entry Thread to let the mods know that you have completed your [LAYER] entry. We'll try to keep a post with all the entries listed in one place for easy reference. This post in the Entry Thread is where you must post a link to your thread to be officially entered.
Categories of voting and judgment will include the following:

Best Layer
Best Inhabitants
Best Female Ruler
Funniest Entry
Rookie Award
Roland's Choice (Staff) Award

If you are eligible for the Rookie award (this is your first entry in an official GitP Design Contest) please note that in your post to the Entry Thread. Otherwise, everyone is eligible for everything else - no need to indicate anything.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to post them to this thread. Good luck!

The Demented One
2007-07-16, 03:07 PM
Ooh, I like this contest...lots of possibilities to explore. Am I right in thinking that we're still allowed to submit multiple entries?

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-16, 05:16 PM
Ooh, I like this contest...lots of possibilities to explore. Am I right in thinking that we're still allowed to submit multiple entries?

Correct, sir.

Poppatomus
2007-07-16, 05:57 PM
Cool Contest (though allowing multiple entries is almost cruel). gives some purpose to my recent obsessive readings of the Dicefreaks book.

three questions:

1.) Are the Unique creatures to be created meant to be individuals, unique types of creatures or a combination of the two?

2.) Though not meant to be set in a particular cosmology, should we specify the power level of the "hell" we are using (DC 32 Asmodeous vs. DC 80+ Asmodeus) or leave that to others to decide?

3.) Does Vorpal Tribble's monthly design contest count towards being a rookie?

EDIT: as a side note to demented, children's hell might be one of the most twistedly brilliant concepts I've ever heard of.

EDIT2: thanks Roland.

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-16, 06:05 PM
Cool Contest (though allowing multiple entries is almost cruel). gives some purpose to my recent obsessive readings of the Dicefreaks book.

three questions:

1.) Are the Unique creatures to be created meant to be individuals, unique types of creatures or a combination of the two?

2.) Though not meant to be set in a particular cosmology, should we specify the power level of the "hell" we are using (DC 32 Asmodeous vs. DC 80+ Asmodeus) or leave that to others to decide?

3.) Does Vorpal Tribble's monthly design contest count towards being a rookie?

1.) Either or both. They could be powerful individual inhabitants or some kind of native demon, devil, or what-have-you.

2.) There's no requirement that you specify, but it's probably a good idea to do so to calibrate the readers expectations to match what you are delivering. (This is especially true the more you deviate from the core 3.5 power level.)

3.) Participating in VT's monthly contest does not count when determining whether you are are rookie for the official design contests.

Good luck!

Khantalas
2007-07-17, 02:43 PM
Is it possible that the layer has more than one ruler (all of them female, obviously) or are we limited to one ruler per layer?

Poppatomus
2007-07-17, 03:11 PM
Thanks for the Answers Roland, but i'm afraid I have a few more questions:

1.) If we decide to go the hell route, what kind of leeway do we have to alter the plane itself?

2.) Which source book has best description of the hellish/abyssal planes?(I suspect its the DMG, but my file is corrupted)

3.) Do any of the books give a more detailed explanation of how the "static" aspect of a plane manifests than is available in the SRD or provide a good example of such a plane?

If I get up to nine questions I think it is a sign that someone will have to topple Asmodeus. Thanks again.

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-17, 03:58 PM
Is it possible that the layer has more than one ruler (all of them female, obviously) or are we limited to one ruler per layer?

The contest calls for a single female ruler. If you want to create a coven of female rulers or some such, I don't see a problem with it.

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-17, 04:04 PM
Thanks for the Answers Roland, but i'm afraid I have a few more questions:

1.) If we decide to go the hell route, what kind of leeway do we have to alter the plane itself?

2.) Which source book has best description of the hellish/abyssal planes?(I suspect its the DMG, but my file is corrupted)

3.) Do any of the books give a more detailed explanation of how the "static" aspect of a plane manifests than is available in the SRD or provide a good example of such a plane?

If I get up to nine questions I think it is a sign that someone will have to topple Asmodeus. Thanks again.

1) All the leeway you want. There is no inherent limit in the contest rules, but you may (as always) want to give some thought to reader expectations. For example, if you change the 8th layer of hell to be the happy-sunshine-rainbows-and-unicorn layer with a Glenda-the-Good-Witch ruler and a race of sentient bubbles that give out friendly feelings, you'll have complied with the contest rules, but probably not met reader expectations. (Although...funny entry?...:smallamused: )

2) In the Core/SRD realm, it's the DMG. Other books such as Manual of the Planes, Dieties and Demigods, the Fiendish Codex I-whatever, and others flesh the cosmology out further.

3) My recollection is that the DMG > SRD in this regard as some of those cosmology aspects are considered non-OGL material. I'd start there.

Khantalas
2007-07-17, 04:07 PM
The contest calls for a single female ruler. If you want to create a coven of female rulers or some such, I don't see a problem with it.

So, I assume it means yes.

Also, do we show one of them as the nominee for the Best Female Ruler, are all three nominated as one (which would be my guess) or are they nominated individually (which would be unfair, IMHO)?

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-17, 04:51 PM
So, I assume it means yes.

Also, do we show one of them as the nominee for the Best Female Ruler, are all three nominated as one (which would be my guess) or are they nominated individually (which would be unfair, IMHO)?

Let me restate:
Can you do it without being disqualified? Yes.

This idea, like most others, falls into the category of things that will not get you disqualified, and, therefore, it is up to the voters to decide if it's "possible."

The answer to your most recent question is similar. Organize your entry as you see fit. If you nominate them together, voters may say, "hey, there's no single ruler here!" If you nominate only one, voters may say, "I like the one he didn't nominate better, so I'll vote for someone else."

But I'm keen to let you choose how to arrange all aspects of your entries that aren't expressly spelled out in the rules. Power to the people and so forth. Perhaps you can ask people, after you're finished, how they think you should do it.

PhoeKun
2007-07-17, 05:38 PM
I just want to say I love this contest. Both for the content, and the delicious, delicious pun. :smallbiggrin:

Amotis
2007-07-18, 01:30 AM
Oh my...

Oh my...

I think I found what I'm doing during my morning classes. :smallamused:

Rama_Lei
2007-07-19, 10:04 AM
Um, can we make a lawful evil plane in the abyss? Because none of the Baator planes serve my purposes...

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-19, 12:15 PM
Um, can we make a lawful evil plane in the abyss? Because none of the Baator planes serve my purposes...

I think it makes more sense to just completely overhaul one of the levels of Baator (--under new managment!--), but if you want to make a LE layer of the Abyss, only the expectations of the voters stands in your way.

DraPrime
2007-07-19, 06:14 PM
I hope that this time I can actually finish my entry.

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-19, 06:21 PM
I hope that this time I can actually finish my entry.

I believe that is the official GitP Design Contest mantra. :smallbiggrin:

Duke of URL
2007-07-20, 06:21 AM
No entry is ever finished. They just sometimes are finished "enough" that you're down to tweaks...

The Glyphstone
2007-07-20, 06:24 AM
Cmon, Demented...did you have to take ALL the good ideas?:smallbiggrin: I thought of two right off the bat...and they were the themes of your entries already.:smallcool:

The Demented One
2007-07-20, 11:10 AM
Cmon, Demented...did you have to take ALL the good ideas?:smallbiggrin: I thought of two right off the bat...and they were the themes of your entries already.:smallcool:
I'm sorry...those all came within 30 seconds of reading the contest rules. And I've got a fourth idea I'm going to start on if no one takes it before I finish the ones I have now...

Mephibosheth
2007-07-20, 09:52 PM
Would it fit within the rules to create a layer that isn't part of the Abyss or of Baator, but rather serves as a buffer/connector between them? While not necessarily a part of either plane, this layer would interact with both and be an integral part of the war between fiends. Is this something that could be created and still conform to the rules?

If so, the idea is mine and none can steal it. Muahahaha!

Mephibosheth

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-21, 11:49 AM
See Post #11.

Mephibosheth
2007-07-21, 12:01 PM
Thank you very much!

Roland St. Jude
2007-07-21, 12:39 PM
You're welcome and good luck!

levi
2007-07-24, 06:05 PM
As I started working on my entry, I decided I needed some sort of baseline for the power level of my LotN. So I grabbed my handy MotP, but it was no help. As I don't have the FC2, I don't really know what the default DnD power level of the Abyssal Lords is.

For a high powered abyss, a great resource is DiceFreaks and their Gates of Hell publication. In the following table, I've summarized the powerlevel of thier version of the LotN. (CsR is "Cosmic Rank", which is Divine Rank for "Cosmic Entities".)

{table=head]Layer | WotC | Dice Freaks
1 Avernus | Bel CR ? | Bael CR 56 CsR 9
2 Dis | Dispater CR ? | Dispater CR 63 CsR 15
3 Minauros | Mammon CR ? | Mammon CR 59 CsR 13
4 Phelegethos | Belial CR ? | Belial CR 61 CsR 13
5 Stygia | Levistus CR ? | Leviathan CR 62 CsR 13
6 Malbolge | Hag Countess CR ? | Lilith CR 62 CsR 14
7 Malodomini | Baalzebul CR ? | Beelzulbub CR 65 CsR 16
8 Cania | Mephistopheles CR ? | Mephistopheles CR 66 CsR 16
9 Nessus | Asmodeus CR ? | Asmodeus CR 81 CsR 18 DV 18[/table]

I would like to fill out this table for the WotC version as well. Would someone who has the numbers please PM them to me. (I belive this falls within fair use.) Also, I'd appreciate pointers to any other version of the LotN that are out there.

The Demented One
2007-07-24, 06:59 PM
The Lords of the Nine, as well as most demon lords, actually have two different versions, each with a different CR. There are the more powerful Book of Vile Darkness versions, and the weaker Fiendish Codex "aspect" versions. In addition, BoVD's Hag Countess is replaced by Glasya in Fiendish Codex II. Here's the Lords of the Nine:

{table=head]Name|BoVD CR|FCII CR
Bel|20|20
Dispater|26|21
Mammon|25|21
Belial|24|21
Levistus|25|21
Hag Countess|22|-
Glasya|-|22
Baalzebul|29|23
Mephistopheles|29|24
Asmodeus|32|27
[/table]

levi
2007-07-25, 06:59 PM
Thanks a bunch. That really helps a lot.

I immagine the Hag Countess got replaced by Glasya because she needed an actual name, rather than just a title. Or is she actually a different being altogether? Personally, I like Lilith better than either of those.

The Demented One
2007-07-25, 07:04 PM
Thanks a bunch. That really helps a lot.

I immagine the Hag Countess got replaced by Glasya because she needed an actual name, rather than just a title. Or is she actually a different being altogether? Personally, I like Lilith better than either of those.
Glasya's a different being entirely, the daughter of Asmodeus. The backstory is that Asmodeus put a Hag in as a Lord to buy time so that his daughter could prepare her takeover.

Duke of URL
2007-07-27, 10:59 AM
Oh, this contest idea is hilarious. I doubt I'll be able to spec out an entire entry, although I do have a basic idea in mind...

levi
2007-07-29, 10:59 PM
Glasya's a different being entirely, the daughter of Asmodeus. The backstory is that Asmodeus put a Hag in as a Lord to buy time so that his daughter could prepare her takeover.

I see. Thanks for the info.

The Vorpal Tribble
2007-08-18, 08:12 AM
Heh, figures, finally have time to get in on this and have an idea and it ends in 3 hours. Ooooh well...